


Arcade Games Analysis

by Roselily2006



Series: Essays I made for class that didn't really need to be essays [2]
Category: Donkey Kong (Video Games), Pac-Man (Video Games), Space Invaders
Genre: Analysis, But I don't know a better place to post them so here you go, at this point I'm posting essays to a fanfic website
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-10
Updated: 2020-12-10
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:14:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27993597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Roselily2006/pseuds/Roselily2006
Summary: Another overwritten essay, this time made for an assignment that only needed at least 6 sentences!This one's an analysis of the three most important elements of a successful arcade game in the 80s.
Series: Essays I made for class that didn't really need to be essays [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2050281





	Arcade Games Analysis

Ah, the arcade game. The grandfather of modern video gaming, and the eater of quarters. Truly, these were a wonder of their time. But some wonder: what truly made an arcade game successful? By looking at three of the most popular arcade games of the time - Donkey Kong, Space Invaders, and Pac-Man - I have found three of the most important elements of a successful arcade game.

The obvious answer that springs to mind is its difficulty. For most people, the two go hand in hand. Of course, the reason for their difficulty is a combination of their age, a need for profit, and the lack of real rules for games. Many people tend to blame it on the profits. A game that can be won easily is no longer interesting for a kid, and so they won’t play it again. However, a game that is unfair will drive people away. Why play if you’re guaranteed to lose? Therefore, a game must strike the right balance of difficulty in order to keep children hooked. It had to cultivate the “Just one more try, I’ll get it this time!” mindset that is famous in today’s gaming. This is why all three of these games have a “lives” system. You’re given a few second chances before it requires another quarter. This not only lets you get more invested in your playing, but also lets you start to figure things out, rather than giving you a tiny snippet of playtime before needing payment.

Adding to the difficulty is the fact that each game leaves something up to chance. The aliens in Space Invaders have no real pattern to when they fire, it’s just up to luck. And there’s no way to know whether a barrel Donkey Kong sent your way is going to go down a ladder. And while each ghost in Pac-Man does have a pattern to their movements, it’s hard to truly predict where they will go. With some things left to chance, there’s no real way to truly guarantee a victory. It also means that kids will put another quarter in because “That’s not fair! I had it! I’ll do it this time, I know it!”

Of course, all of this can only happen if someone decides to play the game in the first place. That’s why any good arcade game needed a way to draw kids in. At the start, they had the advantage of being a brand-new thing, something that had never been seen before. Once they became more common, that boost was mostly over. Most arcade games had pictures on the sides to draw kids in, and their plots were simple to understand and rather interesting. I mean, what kid wouldn’t want to defeat an alien menace with a spaceship? Or save a girl from an evil ape?

When looking back on arcade games, successful ones had the right amount of difficulty, some chance elements, and drew kids in. Perhaps there’s something to learn from those old quarter eaters after all.


End file.
